On September 4th, a 14 year old student opened fire on Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. The shooting killed four (two students, and two teachers), and left nine wounded.
According to a September 6 article in The New York Times, “The school went into lockdown… locked classroom doors, as well as a newly installed alarm system, helped to prevent further bloodshed.” Despite the school’s efforts to keep students safe during shootings, unfortunately the Apalachee High School shooting is only one of the countless shootings that have occurred across our nation, and will continue to occur if schools don’t take extra precautions to protect students.
According to CNN, there have been 49 school shootings in 2024 as of September 13th, and according to The Sandy Hook Promise, guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. The rates continue to rise each year. Our Head of School, Mrs. Adams, expressed her concerns, expressing “It makes me incredibly sad that school shootings are normalized for your generation. This is not normal. It should not be normal.” Mrs. Adams and the director of safety and security, Mr. Easton, touched on the importance of having a strong security system and sense of community at school.
When asked if the administration typically hears from parents or students after school shootings such as the Apalachee shooting, Mrs. Adams replied that yes, they often receive questions and concerns from parents. She continued to say that the administration sent out a letter to the community to discuss SSSAS’s security measures and the security team. She additionally mentioned that Mr. Easton will attend an APT meeting soon and talk to parents to address their questions and concerns.
“I think it’s our attention to each individual… I think it’s knowing kids and having relationships with students and teachers… it’s having our security officer, Mr. Ratliff, know everyone,” Ms. Adams explained when describing our best forms of prevention in place. She pointed out that they have to teach the topic of school security and school shootings differently for students of different ages. She explained how difficult it can be to guide young students through lockdown drills and that the school is in the midst of navigating those circumstances in an appropriate way.
Additionally, we sent out a google form to the US students, and received 54 responses in return. When asked if they knew about the Apalachee high school shooting, 81.5% of students replied yes. We asked how reading about school shootings makes students feel, and the majority responded by saying “scared,” “anxious,” “afraid,” and “disappointed.” One student responded by saying they feel “sad, but not surprised anymore.” Luckily, the majority of students said they are not fearful of a school shooting occuring at our school, and that the drills and lockdowns are effective.
Students were asked for any suggestions or opinions about the security at SSSAS. Multiple respond by saying “I hope they don’t ban phones so that I can contact someone in case of an emergency.” Others shared that they’re pleased with our current security measures and have no significant concerns, but a few had some extreme concerns such as “More armed security officers,” and “You should have to use your finger print in order to enter any classroom, not just main doors.”
Mr. Easton explained in detail how events like the Georgia school shooting affect his work at SSSAS, and what security measures are in place at SSSAS in case of an active shooter. He explained that when school shootings happen, the security team gets notified by trusted government sources and examines the security measures in place at the school of the shooting, its effectiveness, and whether it could have the potential to be effective at SSSAS in case of an emergency.
When asked about what the school’s security system looks like and how SSSAS prioritizes safety, Mr. Easton listed some of the security measures at the Upper School. This includes the fingerprint scanners on the doors and the new speakers that alert everyone if an emergency were to occur. He also explained how there is always a security guard on campus during school hours, and other times as well (the weeknight officer is here Monday to Friday until 10pm and the weekend officer is here Saturday and Sunday until 4pm). The school has emergency backpacks and security cameras all around the three different campuses, and the security team continues to explore more security features. “I think it’s just ever changing. There’s so much technology coming out, and I think it’s finding the right fit that works for us,” he explains. Mr. Easton also said that “As well as our biometric readers we encourage students, faculty, and staff to be mindful of any persons piggy backing into the building and to report it to an employee as soon as possible.”
Students, teachers, administrators, and security personnel have all voiced their opinions on the security at SSSAS, and the many forms of prevention and safety our school is exploring and pursuing in an effort to protect the safety of our community. As Mrs. Adams says, “if you see something, say something.”
